Wastewater from many industrial processes contains minor amounts of oil. When the wastewater is discharged into a larger body of water, e.g. a river, the oil will form a thin iridescent film on the body of water. This film is highly visisble because it reflects light into myriad colors. Although it may otherwise not be objectionable for biodegradability because the oil is in such low concentration, the high visibility of the oil sheen creates a dispersion problem. It is difficult to disperse such films by the use of soaps or surfactants because of the costs of these materials or the ineffectiveness of these materials or foaming when such materials are used.